I'm writing this from frozen Red Lion, waiting for the next round of ridiculously deep snow to fall. After days of being cooped up, I'm getting a little stir-crazy, although Monty (below) is having a good time.
One thing that has been keeping me sane this week is the discovery of Doug Savage's "Savage Chickens" cartoons. Savage's one-panel comics (they fit on a sticky note) are literary hi-jinx at their best. His chickens and his other creation, Poet-Bot, are, um, chicken soup for the poetic soul. I've been emailing them like mad to friends. They comment on writing poetry, teaching poetry, and poetry criticism with wit and silliness – they are wet-your-pants funny. I'll post a few here, but let me warn you: you will become addicted, and you will need a daily chicken dose in your inbox (easily acquired through a free subscription).
Need a writing prompt? Poet-Bot has a hard-drive full:
Need some help writing a review?
We've all wondered this:
This one is for Mitch:
And finally, the answer to the question we all ask ourselves here at BAP:
Many, many more of Doug Savage's chickens can be found at his website, www.savagechickens.com, and at Sphinx, a magazine published by Happenstance Press, a British chapbook press. They are great therapy for the snowbound poet.